Good Mental Health

Updated March 2022

The pandemic and events ongoing as we speak, mean that we are more conscious than ever about mental wellbeing and looking after not only those around us but also ourselves.

So what exactly is good for our mental health? There are some pretty obvious tips, but maybe there are some not so.

See below my 10 top tips to maintain good mental health!

Top 10 Tips for Good Mental Health

1. Sleep

Sleep is really important for your physical and mental health. If you don’t get enough sleep, you can start to feel depressed or anxious.  Read my blog post on sleep hygiene for some great tips on how to get a good night’s sleep.

2. Eat well

Eating well isn’t just important for your body, but it’s also important for your mind. Mineral deficiencies, such as iron and vitamin B12 deficiencies, can give you a low mood.

3. Avoid Alcohol, Smoking and Drugs

When you’ve had a few drinks you can feel more depressed and anxious the next day, and it can be harder to concentrate. If you smoke, between cigarettes your body and brain go into withdrawal which makes you irritable and anxious. Other drugs can often cause very low moods and anxiety.

4. Sunlight

Sunlight is a great source of vitamin D. Vitamin D is a really important vitamin for our bodies and our brains. It helps your brain to release chemicals that improve your mood, like endorphins.

5. Limit stress

Stress is often unavoidable, but knowing what triggers your stress and knowing how to cope is key to maintaining good mental health.

6. Exercise

Exercising can help eliminate low mood, anxiety, stress and feeling tired and lazy.

7. Do something that makes you happy

Try to make time for doing things you enjoy. If you don’t spend any time doing things you enjoy, you will very quickly become irritable and unhappy.

8. Be Social

Make an effort to maintain good relationships and talk to people whenever you get the chance.  It’s not always easy, but it does make such a difference.

9. Do things for others

Helping others isn’t just good for the people you’re helping; it’s good for you too. Feeling as though you’re part of a community is a really important part of your mental health.

10. Ask for help!

One of the most important ways to keep yourself mentally healthy is to recognise when you are beginning to struggle and to know when to ask for help. There’s no shame in asking someone for support if you’re feeling low or stressed.

For me…

So much has changed since I initially wrote this post.  For one I have now been formally diagnosed as perimenopausal and am on HRT.  All 3 of my sons have been diagnosed with learning differences (Delayed Processing, ADHD and Dyslexia). And my sleep is shocking now, I’ve tried everything, sleep hygiene definitely made an impact, but I’m also on meds, which seem to be helping. It just seems to be one thing after another.

Self-care is usually one of the first things to go.  I’m trying harder than ever to put myself first.  I need to be stronger than ever now, for me and for my boys.

So what do you guys do to help with good mental health?  I’d love to hear how you look after yourself in the comments below, and what works for you.

Fay x

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